Harry bland strang



UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIC.

HARRY BLAND STRANG, 0F LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR T0 TI-IOS. FlRTl-I AND SONS' LIMITED, OF SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND.

PROJECTILE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 12, 1919'.

Application filed April 21, 1919. Serial No. 291,486.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY BLAND STRANG, a subject of the King of England, residing in London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Projectiles, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to projectiles of the capped armor piercing type, and has for its object to effect certain improvements in the construction of such projectiles.

It has reviously been proposed to construct projectiles with the body which contains the explosive charge formed separate from the head, the latter being provided with a pointed fore end which in the construction covered by the present applicants concurrent application for United States Letters Patent filed April 16, 1919, Serial No. 290,462, is fitted with a cap. In consequence of the tendency at the present time to increase the dimensions and weight of such caps it becomes possible as in the present improvements to modify the original functions of the cap to some extent and combine the cap with the head instead of providing the latter with a separately formed and tted cap.

According to this invention the projectile is provided with a hardened and tempered steel head the sides of which have an ogival external contour while the fore end is shaped and constructed in the manner customary with a separate cap as for instance with a hardened protrusion on its face which is either central or annular so that the complete head combines in itself the characteristics of a head proper and also a cap the front face of which is preferably covered by a hollow nose. The body which is made separate from the cap head is formed throughout of steel having homogeneous physical characteristics and provided with a solid projecting fore part of a generally conical shape the exterior of which has a series of steps ridges or grooves or a screw thread or is otherwise constructed with a series of forwardly directed resistant sur-v faces. The rear part of the combined cap and head is hollowed and internally shaped to lit on to and engage the projecting fore part of the body being retained in place by suitable means.

A projectile thus formed is particularly adapted for attacking armor plate/obliquely and it becomes possible to construct the body of the projectile as distinct from the combined cap and head, in a manner best suited for performing its functions after the armor plate has` been struck by the separately formed cap head which can also itself be suitably constructed for the function which it is intended to perform. The cap head will have penetrative properties in itself owing to a part of its face being hardened while other parts thereof which are less hard will give support to the hardened part and will act on impact with respect to the main portion of the cap head in substantially the saine Way as a separate cap when mounted on the pointed nose of a projectile or of a separate head. The hardened portion of the cap head thus acts the part of the usual projectile head while the less hard portions act as the usual cap with relation to this head.

The improved projectile may be constructed in various ways but the accompanying drawing which is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the fore part of a projectile illustrates by way of example how the invention may be put into practice.

The hollow body A of the projectile is constructed of steel in the manner best suited to the function which itis intended to perform and its fore end is pro-vided with a substantially conical projecting portion B on the exterior of which are a series of annular steps or ridges B of such dimensions and shape as to present forwardly a series of annular flat surfaces of substantial area and adapted to offer resistance to the cap head C when on impact it tends to be forced rearwardly over the body. The rearmost of the annular steps is somewhat undercut as at B2. The cap head C is provided. with a somewhat flattened fore end or face in the center of whichis a protrusion C of suitable dimensions. This protrusion is hardened and experience has shown in the case of a separately formed and attached cap that such a protrusion suitably hardened and treated will fracture and remove the hard face of the armor plate and thus permit the mass of the head which follows it to perforate the soft back of the plate and open out the hole suiciently to allow the body of the projectile which contains the explosive charge to pass through. In the present case this action is performed by the combined cap and head C. The fore end of the cap head is preferably formed as are caps constructed in accordance with the present applicants priorv United States Patent No. 1,149,602. Alternatively the fore end of the cap may be constructed asindicatedV in the specification of the United States Patent No. 1,153,460. The rear part of the cap head C is hollowed and shaped internally with a series of steps C2 so as to it on to and engage the projecting fore end of the body. The rear edge C3 of the cap head is adapted to be pressed or other- Vwise forced into engagement with the undercut rearmost step B2 on the body projection B whereby the cap head C is fixed in place. The sides of the cap head are given an ogival contour so that they form a smooth continuation of the contour of the body A. The front face of the cap head C is covered by a holle7 nose D of suitable shape and formation and attached in some convenient manner as by screwing on to the face of the cap head.

The mass of metal in the cap head C and the manner and extent to which it is hardened and tempered may vary as found desii-able and having regard to the dual functions which the part is intended to perform. The structural details may be modified to meet requirements.

` What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an armor piercing projectile the combination of a body formed throughout of steel having homogeneous physical characteristics and provided with a solid projecting fore part, a series of separate but annularly disposed alternating pro* jections and recesses all of relatively substantial dimensions formed and positioned along the length of the projecting fore Copies of this patent may be obtained for part of thebody so as to present resistant surfaces toward the front of the projectile, a hardened and tempered steel cap head having a fore end which is shaped and constructed in the manner customary with a separate cap while the rear part of this cap head is hollowed and shaped internally so that it willjft on to the projecting fore part of the body and engage the projections and recesses thereon the structure of this cap head being such that it combines in itself the characteristics and properties of a head for the projectile and also a cap, and a hollow nose covering the face of the cap head as set forth.

2. In an armor piercing projectile the combination of a body formed throughout of steel having homogeneous physical characteristics and provided with a solid and approximately conical projecting` fore part, a plurality of annular steps of substantial dimensions formed on and positioned along the conical projecting fore part of the body the steps constituting a series of resistant surfaces directed toward the front of the projectile, a hardened and tcmpered steel cap head having an ogival eX- ternal contour and its rear part hollowed and shaped internally so that it will fit on to the projecting fore part of the body and engage the steps thereon, a hardened protrusion formed on the face of the fore end of the cap head, the complete capv head combining in itself the characteristics and properties of a head for the projectile and also a cap, and a hollow nose covering the face of the cap head as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to the specification.

HARRY BLAND STRANG.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner nf Patents, Washington, D. C. 

